Mickey Rourke is a man who’s been through a lot in his life. Now, he’s crediting the Lord, prayer, and a faith leader who once counseled him for helping keep him on a positive path, proclaiming, “There is a God” during an interview with Fox News.

The actor, who starred in the film “Man of God,” told the outlet he would have lived a very different life if not for his late grandmother, who was very religious. Rourke said he faced many challenges growing up but started believing in a higher power.

Rourke said of the difficult times he faced, “You either live in that shame and be a broken man, or you get hard. I was very comfortable on the streets growing up. But there is a God. My priest told me, ‘God hears everything you say. He just doesn’t give it to you when you want it. You’ve got to keep persevering and keep communicating with him. You’ve got to talk to God before the house burns down.’

Rourke remembered some struggles, mainly his brother Joey’s cancer diagnosis when Joey was 17 and Rourke was 18, a time of trouble during which the family learned that Joey only had six months to live.

Joey survived and didn’t pass away until decades later. But Rourke struggled to process that eventual loss, telling Fox News he didn’t pray for two years after his brother’s 2004 death until he met a priest named the Rev. Peter Colapietro. Rourke said he would talk with the priest on weekends and tell him he didn’t want to pray. However, Colapietro noted that everyone suffers and loses loved ones and understood how he was feeling.

Rourke said at that moment, he felt understood, but it still took him two years before he could pray again. Through guidance and therapy, Rourke said he was able to overcome. The actor also shared his journey to make movies that matter. “Man of God” is about Greek Orthodox saint St. Nektarios of Aegina, who performed good deeds and faced persecution. Rourke said the story has a lot of “integrity.”

Rourke told Fox News, “I don’t want to make movies where it’s just one guy and a machine gun killing 200 other people just because it sells. That’s for somebody else. It’s not for me. But one thing I’ve learned is that everything’s in God’s hands.” Watching a loved one deal with cancer can be hard for anyone. It can be more challenging when that loved one dies. In those times, we question why God would allow someone to suffer. We also ask why He would take away someone we loved and cherished.

However, instead of questioning God, we should use those moments to thank Him for letting us borrow His creation. We should also thank Him for taking away their pain and bringing them into His Kingdom. Everything that God does is for a reason, and while we may not always understand that reason, we eventually choose to accept it. You can watch the trailer for “Man of God” below.